Unexpected, But Welcomed, Advice
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Teddy gets some advice from Professor Longbottom.


**Written For:**

 **Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition:** Round 12 - Beater 1 - You'll be writing about two characters in a friendship (platonic) relationship. Characters: Teddy and Neville. Prompts: 7. (dialogue) "I've forgotten what it's like to feel young." / 12. (phrase) A man is known by the company he keeps

 **Musical Category Competition:** Wicked  
Boq - Alternatively, write about Neville Longbottom.

 **Beta'ed by Sophie.**

xXx

 **Wise Advice**

Teddy forced a smile as Emma giggled girlishly. On the inside, he was cringing. "Oh, Ted-Ted, you're so funny," she flattered, touching his upper arm with a light hand.

"Thanks, Em." While she spoke, he was thinking about nothing but an exit strategy.

"I mean it," Emma continued, "I can't believe you're here with me."

Teddy said, "I can't either." At the same time, he was thinking, 'Why am I here? What is wrong with me?'

It wasn't that Emma was a bad person or anything. She was really nice, but she didn't really spark anything within him. She giggled a lot and talked about fashion and what one girl said to another. She was a typical princess type, and that wasn't really to Teddy's taste. So, why was he entertaining the idea of dating her? What possible reason could he have to be walking around the greenhouses with her?

He looked away from her pretty face and saw Professor Longbottom, and it felt like Merlin smiled down at him, giving him a way out of this insipid conversation.

"Um, there's Professor Longbottom. I have a Herbology question, so I'm going to go talk to him. See you later."

Teddy ran off, but not before he heard her shout after him. "I'll sit with you at dinner!"

He closed her eyes, now dreading dinner. Maybe he could just skip it and hide out at the library instead. "Hey, Professor," he greeted once he got close enough.

Neville was studying a pad of paper, but he looked up at the sound of Teddy's voice. "Teddy, were you having a romantic stroll with Emma?" he teased, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

He shrugged, and Neville smiled. "Was there something you needed? Not that I mind you talking to me, of course, but if I was with a pretty girl, I'd much prefer her company over a Professor's."

"Emma is…well, she's…I guess I can't explain it."

Neville laughed. "You remind me a little bit of myself right now. I've forgotten what it's like to feel young, but you're making me think about it..."

"What do you mean?" Teddy asked.

"In school, I didn't date much, but my first girlfriend wasn't someone I really liked. I dated her because she liked me, and I didn't think I could get any other girl to say yes to a date. I took the easy way just so I could say I had a girlfriend."

Teddy stared at the ground.

"You don't really like Emma, do you?"

Teddy looked up into Neville's eyes and gave a small shake of his head.

"I know you don't have the problems I did as a kid. Unlike me, you're extremely popular with girls. So, why are you spending time with a girl you're not really interested in?"

Teddy bit his bottom lip and thought about it. "Honestly, I'm not sure."

Neville clapped his hand on Teddy's shoulder. "Walk with me. I need to go to Greenhouse Two and check on something."

Teddy followed him.

They got to the greenhouse and walked inside. They turned left and went towards a plant that Teddy forgot the name of. "A man is known by the company he keeps. And Emma, while she's a sweet girl, can be a bit air-headed. She reminds me of how Lavender and Parvati used to be."

Teddy tilted his head. Lavender was a fashion designer, and he could imagine her as being air-headed, but Parvati was an Unspeakable, and air-headed and Parvati didn't go together in his head.

Neville continued, "Now, do you want people to know you by the fact that you date girls like Emma?"

"Why should I care what they think of that? You said yourself, she's a sweet girl."

"I did, but do you want a girl like Victoire to see you for the kind of guy that dates girls like that?"

Teddy swallowed. "Victoire? Why would you mention Victoire?"

Neville smiled. "I've seen the way you look at her. It was the way I looked at Hannah while I was at school. Before I had the courage to approach her and tell her my feelings. And I have to wonder, are you dating Emma because you're afraid to approach Victoire?"

Neville went back to studying the plant and made a little note on his pad.

Teddy thought about it, and after a silence that seemed to stretch on forever, he finally spoke "Her family is my family, even if we're not related by blood. What if it messes up everything?"

"If she's worth having, then that's a risk you should be willing to take, but that's something you have to decide for yourself."

Teddy stayed silent in response.

Neville tore his gaze away from his notepad so he could look over at a young man he had watched grow up because of his friendship with Harry and Ginny. "Teddy, your family loves you. And even if things don't work out with Victoire, you won't lose them. As long as you're not planning to purposely hurt her or do something as stupid as cheat, anything will be forgivable in their eyes."

"I'd never cheat on her," Teddy vowed.

Neville chuckled. "I never thought you would. If Victoire is important, you need to stop wasting your time on Emma. Tell her you're not interested and apologize for leading her on. Then you need to tell Victoire how you feel. Before you're too late and you lose her."

Teddy smiled at his favorite professor. "Thank you, Professor Longbottom."

"Go do it," Neville gently ordered.

Teddy nodded and turned around, running out of the greenhouse and towards his future.

xXx

(word count: 941)


End file.
